


On Love: Music

by Pigfarts23



Series: On Love: Song [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Music, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, It's the au you didn't want and didn't ask for, M/M, Theres a bit of Viktuuri, but its still there, but that's ok i play saxophone so the dragging is ok, dragging of saxophones, i'm gonna regret this tomorrow, i'm sorry i gave it to you, it's 2 am and i'm posting this why aren't i sleeping, my beta is asleep so it's unbetad, not much, the OFC is mentioned like three times ok, viktuuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 15:57:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10030511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pigfarts23/pseuds/Pigfarts23
Summary: Au where Viktor and Yuuri have to collaborate and they compose Eros together.The unholy music/college AU you didn't ask for but got anyway





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd; all mistakes are my own.  
> EDIT: March 1, 2017 (14 hours after posting)  
> HUGE thanks to [Opal](http://opalescentgold.tumblr.com) for the editing in the comments !! <3 I love you so much omg.  
> EDIT 2: March 3, 2017  
> ANOTHER HUGE THANKS to [iamanonniemouse](http://iamanonniemouse.tumblr.com) for fixing a few remaining errors! bless you

_Viktor’s late,_ Yuuri thinks, sitting and stewing at the table he claimed in the library.

All he wanted to do was come to America to get a better music education. NOT babysit some musician who could get into The Juilliard School but _couldn’t be arsed to show up for a group project._

What Yuuri can’t believe is that he was assigned to work with some violinist for this composition course project, which is worth 40% of the overall grade.

Knowing Yuuri’s luck when it comes to getting people for group projects, this violinist is one of _those_ people.

People who don’t pull their weight in group projects.

And the _best_ part of this _entire situation_ is that the guy, Viktor Nikiforov (even his name sounds like a slacker), didn’t even bother showing up to workshop when the prof announced the group pairings and topics!

Figures.

They emailed back and forth on school email, and Yuuri was the one who, very uncomfortably, had to take charge of the project. He eventually managed to steer the conversation to meeting up, which explains why he’s actually in the library, when he would much rather be back at his apartment. Or sleeping. Or swimming. Or shopping, practicing, writing his assignment for another course, practicing, analysing the differences in theory between the eras of instrumental music, or practicing, or studying or -

“Yuuri, right?” A voice cuts through Yuuri’s list of things he’d rather be doing and causes him to look up.

His heart chooses that moment to stop, as the man before him is so beautiful, Yuuri is sort of internally crying.

Or combusting.

Or a mix of both.

And then it picks back up again, similar to a metronome that was suddenly cranked up from 72BPM to 140.

“Uh.. Yea,” Yuuri says, hesitant. “And you’r-”  
  
“Viktor Nikiforov! I’m your partner. Traffic sucked today, so that’s why I’m late!” Viktor exclaims, sunny, before flinging himself gracefully into the chair across from Yuuri.  

Within moments, a laptop is on the table as Viktor dives back into his bag to gleefully whip out a notebook, a binder, and a few pens.

“So, Yuuri, tell me! What instrument is your main one? Are you in the composition program? Do you have a favourite style of music? Do you play multiple instruments? Favourite family?”

Yuuri can do nothing but stare back in shock and silence at Viktor for a few moments. Then, when he gets himself together, he strings together some words to stutter out, “Err… I’m a guitar major. I -”  
  
“Ooh guitar!! I’m a violin major! Strings,” Viktor exclaims, and then he harshly turns the laptop around, showing an open Sibelius manuscript, “are the voices of angels. At least, that’s what my violin professor use to tell me when I was learning. ‘Remember, Vitya,’ he’d say, towering over me...”

Viktor’s voice fades off as Yuuri realises that he (probably) got _the chattiest_ person in the _whole entire world_ as his partner.

_Well, at least I don’t have to do all the talking._

“.. so I said ‘You can’t actually make me believe I sounded like _that_ when I started out!’. Oh! You don’t mind if we use Sibelius, do you? It’s the only program I can use; everything else sounds too synthesized to me.”

“Oh. Um, no. Sibelius is fine,” Yuuri says, opening the notebook that had been sitting on the table. Never mind that Yuuri works only off of the free MuseScore and has no idea how to use Sibelius. “I don’t really work with it so ..”

“That’s fine!” Viktor chirps, and then starts leafing through his binder. When he comes across the rubric for the assignment, as well as the instructions, he pulls them both out and then picks up his pen, which is then tapped against his lower lip. “Have you looked at the instructions?”  
  
“Yea… Prof Swanson mentioned in class that we’re doing love as a theme this year. We got _Eros_ , or sexual love. I think that’s what it means. Anyway, we have to have at least two instruments not commonly found in orchestral works and do a recording of the piece,” Yuuri recalls, tapping the notebook. It’s in that moment that he realises he doesn’t have a pen with him. “Do you have a pen I can bo-”

“Here,” Viktor says, producing another pen with a flourish. “Keep it. I don’t need it. Anyway, we should work our favourite combinations in! That way we can get the emotion going right away!”

“Right. Okay.”

“I can write it down and send it to you, if you’d like.”

“I.. ah .. like to have my own copy of the notes.” Yuuri feels his face heat up.

“Cool. Less work for me! Right, now let’s get this done.”

* * *

 After working for a few hours, they’ve hammered out how they’re going to bring Eros to life. Yuuri had done some preliminary research on the God of Love but Viktor shot that idea down right away.

“Holst already did _The Planets_ Suite and Professor Swanson wrote _The Gods_ Suite. We can’t go stealing ideas from her!”

He had a point.

Yuuri currently lounges on his bed, procrastinating on _everything_ by not doing anything, and sighs. What was the point of establishing instrument groups when they hadn’t even figured out what angle they wanted to approach the project from?

“Yuuri! I’m home!” Phichit calls, stepping through the front door of their tiny apartment and distracting Yuuri from his thoughts. Half a beat later, footsteps sound outside his door and Phichit knocks.

“Hey Phichit,” Yuuri mumbles, more to the pillow than to Phichit.

But Phichit must have super human hearing or something because he steps through the doorway with a, “Rough day?”

“I met with my partner today.”

“Oh for your … MSUMS course? The… non Composition major Composition course, right?”

“Yea.”

“You don’t sound thrilled about this,” Phichit says, coming into the room, “and you were really looking forward to the course.”

“My partner… is just strange? And we planned out the musical pairings before we decided what feel we wanted to describe the theme and I’m just not sure that this is going to go to plan because _how do you pick instruments before you pick how to feel the theme_ and I have the scholarship to keep in mind and -”

“Whoa okay, hey, breathe for me, Yuuri.”

Phichit’s voice is soothing and calm, and Yuuri can’t help but feel calmed by his presence.

“Breathe in…and out....”

Yuuri breathes, feeling safe and comforted in their tiny and crammed apartment.

After a few minutes of this, he feels better.

Slightly.

“See there you go, Yuuri. It’s not as bad as you think, and you guys are starting super early in the semester! It’s all going to work out, don’t worry!”

If only he could have as much faith in himself as Phichit seemed to have in him. Then maybe things would actually work out as planned.

* * *

An annoying ringing noise startles Yuuri from his sleep. It takes him a few seconds to realise it’s his phone ringing from right beside him, and he winces at the brightness in the room as he moves with sleep heavy hands to try and pick it up.

“... Yea.”

“YUURI!” cries Viktor’s over enthusiastic voice.

Yuuri frowns and moves the phone away from his ear at the sudden screech. “Why are you so loud?” he grumbles into the phone.

"Oh I’m sorry. Were you sleeping?” Viktor asks, enthusiasm gone, replaced with something else… something that Yuuri can’t quite name.

Mostly because it’s _so_ early.

“... Yes,” Yuuri pauses to fumble with words in his head trying to force them through the glue that is somehow holding his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “Weren’t you?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Viktor dismisses, “BUT! I think I figured it out.”

“...What out?” Yuuri asks, no longer groggy, but confused. He’s slowly waking up all because his apparently _insane_ partner decided he didn’t get a sleep schedule.

“Our theme! Our approach!”

“Which is…”

“Okay, hear me out.” Viktor somehow manages to get even louder and his speed picks up as well. “I was listening to Piazzolla's _[Libertango](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdhTodxH7Gw), _ you know the one. It’s got that funky piano beat that grooves and it’s very danceable -”

Yuuri doesn’t have time for this. “The _point,_ Viktor.”

“RIGHT. So anyways. Tango. Sexy. Eros.”

 It’s a genius idea, but Yuuri doesn’t understand why he had to be informed of it at 3 o’clock in the morning. When he had _just_  managed to fall asleep.

“That’s brilliant.” The words flow from Yuuri like a water bursting forth from its dam.

“I thought so too! And if we do a Spanish influence, we’ve can add in castanets, chimes, and maracas. Which covers the … percussive requirement? Then we just need at least two groups of instruments not often found in orchestral work and we can write it! Of course, we’ll play the main melody - I was thinking that we start with a Spanish influenced guitar riff and -" 

"Viktor," Yuuri cuts in, "As great as this idea is, can we talk about it when we meet up next? It’s rather late, if you didn’t notice.”

“Oh sure! Right. Does today work? Today at 2?”

Yuuri thinks, trying to figure out what day it is and when he last practiced and if he has class. “Ahhhh, I think it does?”

“Wonderful!”

And Viktor hangs up.

Yuuri doesn’t sleep the rest of the night.

* * *

The semester moves on as autumn moves in, her cold cloak nipping at noses and sweeping trees bare with a few gusts of over excited breath. Leaves swirl in her wake and a constant cloud seems to hang over campus, letting a few tear drops leak through every so often as she prepares for winter’s arrival.

Thankfully, Yuuri doesn’t get any more frantic calls from Viktor at 3 o’clock in the morning.

They meet up every day now, and Sibelius has become Yuuri’s best friend, much to Phichit's dissapointment. He’s also become a pro at deciphering whatever the hell Viktor sings and turning it into something that they can actually use.

“Viktor! Here’s your coffee," Yuuri greets, five weeks after the whole Phone Call incident, and the first day they’re supposed to be playing through the piece they’ve written.

Viktor, already set up and comfortable in the practice room they booked a while back, turns to beam at Yuuri like he’s just given him an Oscar for Best Soundtrack and not a daily coffee.

“Thank you, my lovely partner! What would I do without you?” He takes a sip of the coffee, still piping hot, and Yuuri feels a blush crawl across his face as he sets down the guitar case and takes out his guitar.

The completed melody is loud, brash, bold, and teasing, reminiscent of one of its composers, and supported by a very subtle but noticeable guitar that weaves its way in and out and up and down throughout the main violin melody. 

They’re still trying to figure out which instruments would work as more harmony in the background, lending their sound to a beautiful choir. The point of this meeting is to record the piece so far to see what instruments would work with it.

Once Viktor has gotten his violin set up, he nods at Yuuri, who starts the recording. Moments later, he starts playing the opening riff, fingers frantically flying across the frets as he keeps up with the tempo set in his head. 

“Remember, Yuuri,” comes the memory of Viktor’s voice as they spoke over the feeling of the piece, "you want to seduce the audience from the start. I come in later, so the initial seduction is all on you, and I know for a fact you can do it. Seduce them for me.”

When Viktor comes in and _finally_ takes over, Yuuri retreats to the background, fingers flying but not as frantically. Under Viktor’s tutelage, the violin soars, carrying the song from the lowest of the range to the heavens high above. As they wind towards the end, Yuuri joins in, creating wave like sounds that rise and fall beneath Viktor’s spotlight, moving downwards along a scale as Viktor seems to climb, higher and higher, along notes until he finally gets the last grouping and the piece finishes.

Yuuri scrambles to stop the recording, the deafening silence crashing through his ears.

Viktor breaks the silence first. “Well, I think we should listen to that and see what we can do with it.” And he moves forward, towards the laptop.

Towards Yuuri, who still hasn’t moved.

Viktor reaches around him and presses play. His warmth, strange yet somehow familiar, envelops Yuuri, giving him that same contented feeling that he has whenever Phichit comes into the room.

They stand like that, Viktor against Yuuri’s back, and listen to their piece.

The creation they made together.

It’s amazing.

“It is amazing.” As usual, Viktor seems to know what Yuuri is thinking and manages to answer questions that Yuuri doesn't think he's vocalised. "And I think I know what it's missing - picture this -"  
  
"It's kind of hard to picture music." Yuuri muses, and Viktor huffs, warm air spreading across his neck as Viktor turns his head. A cold nose touches behind Yuuri's ear and he suddenly realises just how close they are.

"You know what I mean." Viktor whispers, softly, almost inaudible if it weren't for the fact his lips are right next to Yuuri's ear.

That thought sends a shiver down Yuuri's spine and then, for some reason, Viktor is moving away from Yuuri and he feels... disappointed.

"We need accordion. And .. saxophone." Viktor says, snapping his fingers as if the latter was something that just occurred to him.

Yuuri balked. "Saxophone?"

"Do you trust me?" Viktor asks, setting down the violin and turning back to Yuuri.

"Yes?"

"Good. Find me a saxophonist."

* * *

By the time presentation day arrives, Yuuri has gone from disbelief to awe.

Because  _Eros_ somehow  _needed_ a saxophone, something which Yuuri is still marvelling at because  _who actually needs saxophones?_

With the mix of accordion and saxophone, the music ties together very well in a strange way that works out.

He and Viktor are standing at the front of the class as Prof Swanson gets the system hooked up and then resettles into her chair to begin grading them.

When Viktor presses play after doing a brief speech on the process of how they thought up the music ("I can do it but I'll probably pass out from nerves." "It's just a quick sentence to the class, Yuuri." "If it's so quick, why don't you say it then?" ".. Fine. I'll speak."), the opening guitar riff flies out of the speakers and starts to wrap the room in its glory.

Yuuri feels as if he's being wrapped together in a blanket that is so rich in texture and sound that he doesn't know where to begin describing how wonderful and pleasurable the feeling is.

In essence, they've captured pleasure after pleasure, all mounting and rushing towards a climax of euphoria.

(Viktor didn't put it that way to the class, but if he did, Yuuri thinks he'd have a hard time trying to keep himself from blushing.)

When the notes cut off, the room is silent for a second before it bursts into thunderous applause.

Well, as thunderous as 12 people and a shocked prof could be.

From the corner of his eye, Yuuri sees Viktor smirk and he feels his heart, already soaring from the applause they received, skip a few beats.

By some unspoken agreement, they wait till the class has left before slowly leaving the room together.

"Yuuri," Viktor says.

Yuuri stops, turning back to face Viktor, who moves as fast as his fingers do when he plays violin and then suddenly, Viktor is kissing him, lips attached to his, large hands cupping his face.

Yuuri's overwhelmed with the sensation of Viktor's soft and lush lips against his. It was something he didn't know he needed until right this second.

Viktor pulls away gently, resting his forehead against Yuuri's, before whispering, "I told you to trust me."

"I did," Yuuri replies, still giddy from the success of their assignment and the wonder of the kiss, "And you managed to pull it off."

"Mmhm," Viktor hums, leaning in, " _We_ managed to pull it off, yes. And show the class what true  _Eros_ really is."

This is  _Eros_ , Yuuri can't help but think, as Viktor gets another kiss. 

True  _Eros_ indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!  
> Hilariously enough this was done because I didn't want to research for my own group project. lmao
> 
> So when I posted this I didn't put the video link in because I was like "i can't do anything right now". Ironically, when I got the link in, it still doesn't work. Here, [listen to the music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdhTodxH7Gw)
> 
> Inspired by tanaw's [amazing image](http://tanaw.tumblr.com/post/157772886140/au-where-victor-and-yuuri-have-to-collaborate-and)!! Go check them out they're fabulous.
> 
> If you catch any glaring mistakes, please drop a line!! Thanks :)
> 
> Come scream at me!  
> [tumblr](http://pigfarts23.tumblr.com)  
> [personal](http://therealpigfarts23.tumblr.com)  
> 


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